A number of factors may explain the movement of the wider Osborne family between Clydach Vale, Blaengwynfi and Tonyrefail. {2}

Developing the pits

An important entrepreneur William Perch 1831-1891 of Perch & Co. opened mines in the Rhondda Valley, including one at Clydach Vale in 1847 and later in the Afan Valley in 1892; he later acquired the Glyncorrwg and Glynneath mines. Perch’s success included obtaining Admiralty contracts in 1898 supplying coal to the Navy. It may have been easy to transfer to the coal owner’s new mines where new housing was available. A number of the managers and under managers at Blaengwynfi were from Tonypandy and this may have benefitted miners wanting a transfer.

Another delightful occupational title has come to light, after a little gap filling and “new” records checking on the family tree {1}. Previously I had somehow identified 4x great grandfather Joseph Osborne as a (farm) labourer, supposedly per his son Robert’s marriage registration {5}. However, on making use of Ancestry’s Somerset collection, the original image for this event shows him to be a ‘Pig Jobber’!

Having coughed up for a Findmypast annual sub to access the 1939 Register details {4}, it is time for Cutlock & Co to do its usual job, as per earlier censuses, transcribing the whole information for Bush Houses {see notes 1, 2}.

Up until the beginning of this month (April 2016), two of great grandmother Amelia Osborne’s siblings had proved elusive, despite looking for several years. The brick wall has well and truly been smashed through thanks to third cousin Alan Croad, for one of the two at least.

Cutlock & Co is extremely grateful to a new contact who has forwarded some photos of Bush Houses. One view was familiar, from the painting which appears at the bottom of Feeling Bushed and also a poor quality version received via another source, but the older black and white image was certainly from a fresh perspective.

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Cutlock and Co brings together family history data and stories - the 'Howes Watkins Neal Scott' tree. Key places include Norfolk, south Somerset, Rhondda, Neath, Manitoba and Nebraska. Find these and other areas of interest from the "nav menu" above the banner picture.